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The TYM test

The TYM test is a new cognitive test comprising of 10 tasks presented on 2 sides of a single sheet of soft card. Most people
take about 5 minutes to complete the TYM. The test can be completed under supervision from a health professional. The
maximum score is 50/50.

The average TYM score for normal individuals is 47/50 up until the age of 70 years and then there is a small decline.

The TYM test has several features which should help the diagnosis and management of patients with memory problems:

The patient fills in the test themselves. This saves time.

The TYM test is a permanent self-written record of a patient’s achievement on a certain date and can be referred back to.

The TYM tests 10 different cognitive domains including anterograde memory, semantic knowledge and visuospatial skills which are typically affected early in Alzheimer’s disease.

There is a very clear distinction between the scores of normal controls (average 47/50) and patients with mild
AD (average 33/50). A cut off of 42 has a sensitivity of 93% and specificity of 86% in the diagnosis of AD in our study.

It is powerful in detecting mild Alzheimer's disease detecting 93% of cases in our study.

The results of giving the TYM test to 139 patients with organic memory problems and 540 controls has been published in the
BMJ (ref: 2009;338:b2030) –
www.bmj.com

The TYM test is a new cognitive test which is quick to administer and tests a large number of cognitive skills.

Initial work published in the BMJ suggests that is a useful, valid and powerful screening test for Alzheimer's disease. It is a screening test not a diagnostic test. Our results suggest that patients with a pre-test low risk of Alzheimer's disease who score well on the TYM test are very unlikely to have Alzheimer's disease.

The TYM test may well be useful in many other clinical settings, this is under investigation currently.